In The Snow
by Notsofast
Summary: Kid passes his judgement on Stein after the scientist's madness gets the better of him... One-shot


Disclaimer: I own nothing! Not even my soul...

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><p><strong>In The Snow<strong>

She found him stood in the snow, his coat battered by the wind and the bottom splattered with blood.

"Stein?"

"It's too late, Maka…"

"Did you do this?"

Stein didn't turn round. His air was cold, but Maka felt numb to it. Her head was pounding, and so was her heart.

"Just kill me," he said.

Maka gasped, freezing air filling her lungs and waking her up. "Gladly," a voice replied behind her, sharply.

Maka turned to see a black figure standing off to the left of her, guns raised and trained venomously onto Sherlock.

"Kid, no!" she cried, eyes widening in alarm.

"Leave it, Maka," Stein said, quietly, turning round. He dropped his cigarette into the snow, then lifted his head up, revealing blood smeared across his shirt. His hands were in his labcoat pockets, leaving his torso wide open, and, for once, both his dull, green eyes were visible behind his glasses. Maka's heart broke all over again.

A man with nothing left to hide.

"He killed her!" Kid was yelling. His own eyes were narrowed and filling with tears, weapons shaking in his grip. "He did this, he deserves it! He… he…"

"She knew all along, Kid," Stein said, simply. "She knew what she was doing."

"She had no idea the danger," Kid snapped, "You led her on, you led us all on!"

"What was I supposed to say?"

"Anything! _I had a right to know!_"

Stein said nothing. Maka felt water on her face, and realised she was crying. The trails froze on her flushed cheeks.

Soul would be out looking for her. No one else would think.

"Please, Kid," Maka begged, her own eyes searching his. "Please, let's go back."

He wasn't crying. His dark fringe blew into his eyes as he angrily blinked tears away, never taking his eyes off of the scientist for a second. "I trusted you."

"I know."

"I should kill you."

The wind whipped around them, making Maka shiver. She saw lights flickering in the distance. They would be too late.

"Kid," Maka sobbed, her loose hair falling into her eyes. "Don't…"

"You disgust me! Your abhorrent behaviour has gone unpunished for too long." Kid was shaking all over now, with anger or the cold Maka wasn't sure. His yellow eyes were burning. "My father was insane trusting you! You have blood on your clothes and you don't even care!"

"I care plenty," Stein said sharply, anger lacing his words at last as he stepped forward. "Marie is dead. I cut her open and I enjoyed it, and she _knew that_. I was wrong to stay. I was wrong to let her get as close to me as she did."

"Damn fucking right," Kid spat. He levelled the guns.

"Kid!" Maka screamed.

"Maka!" Stein ordered, "Stay back." He cranked the screw in his head a final few times, then turned to Kid. "Let the shinigami pass his judgement."

Kid was trembling. Stein was as still as a statue, grey and cold and now he was _smirking_. Kid straightened up, and clenched his teeth.

BANG.

BANG BANG BANG.

There were ghastly rips, a splash of blood, and a thump as the heavy body hit the snow. Kid's arms fell loose to his sides, staring with horror at the fallen figure of Stein.

The world slowed down.

Maka fell to her knees, collapsing into the thick drift of snow. She felt the ice burn her knees, stinging and stabbing and she didn't _care_. She wanted to vomit. She was gonna be sick. Her face was wet, and it _hurt_, and oh god, she could see his blood soaking into the snow.

_Marie is dead. Marie is dead._

"Maka?"

_You murdered him._

"Maka!"

Arms wrapped around her neck as Soul reached her side. She dissolved into tears into his chest, heaving sobs racking her whole body as she grieved for Marie, for Stein, for herself.

"Murderer!" she screamed, her throat raw.

Liz, Patti and Kid were being led away by Sid and Nygus, while her father ran on to Stein. The wind had picked up again, with new jagged lumps of ice raining down on the hill. Maka felt it land on her hair, and punctuate her skin.

Kid hadn't looked back.

"Come on," Soul said, pulling her up. Maka let her body go limp as her weapon took her hand, warming her, guiding her back through the snow. She was so tired and cold. So lost.

She glanced back, once. Her father had his head down, red hair sticking to his face, his shoulder's sagging.

"It'll be okay," Soul said. Maka closed her eyes, and wished with all her heart that she could believe him.

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><p>If you enjoyed please review :)<p> 


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